Shrink wrap and interior plastic bags?

Shrink wrap was prevalent when I worked at a KayBee Toy and Hobby store in 1975. We had a machine in the back of the store that could replace the shrink wrap, which I used regularly after inspecting new releases as they came in.

I'm sure that it was instituted to stop the loss of parts. Italeri kits were horrible for losing parts from the boxes in the way that you opened them with that "flap" thing. The same way that you can lose parts from figures boxes and kits like Matchbox kits---anything that opens from the side.

I imagine that the electronics parts like motors were wrapped to protect against moisture.

Beware the shrink wrap machines hidden in the stockrooms of retail stores!  They use them to rewrap returned items, make new price labels, and make the item look brand new.  They have no idea if any parts are missing and they don't bother to check.  I know, I worked at one of those places!

I've been building models since the late 50's.  I don't think any kits had shrink wrap or inner bags until the 70's or so and that seemed company specific.  I think Tamiya was the first I remember bagging  the sprues.  I have some in the basement I could check on, still from that time period, in fact I still have several kits like that.  I will check sometime and post again with more facts than memories.  I'm pretty sure that Testors/ Italeri kits were in bags inside the tray like inner box, ant they were shrink wrapped, those were from the mid seventies.  

Doug

most kits come int o the country now days without shrink wrap. I know of one distributor that shrink wraps as soon as the kit hits the dock.

Thad